When Peter Townend, best known as PT, sees how professional surfing has evolved in the four decades since he was the sport’s first world champion, he is both stoked and amazed.
Today, professional surf stars are millionaire celebrities. They fly first class; stay in beachfront manses. They’re pampered by an entourage of train

Brace yourself, it’s about to get crazy.
Big crowds will be descending upon Surf City for the final two days of the U.S. Open of Surfing, the world’s largest action-sports festival. Hundreds of thousands of people will be coming to Huntington Beach this weekend, whether to check out the pro surfers still in the hunt for a U.S

HUNTINGTON BEACH – Huntington Surf and Sport owner Aaron Pai gave the surfers a warning: You’re about to get a bit of concrete on you.
Three Surfers’ Hall of Fame inductees – former world champion C.J. Hobgood, innovator Gordon “Grubby” Clark and long-time Huntington local John Davis – place

The Vans U.S. Open of Surfing is a great place to people watch. And with most people strolling around in boardshorts and bikinis, there’s no shortage of tattoos to admire.
We scoured the sand in Huntington Beach for the crazy tats on display among surfers and spectators. Their body art tells their stories.

NEWPORT BEACH – Jellyfish made out of umbrellas, sharks, mermaids, clownfish and at least one Aquaman congregated near the Balboa Pier Thursday morning.
About 1,300 Newport Beach junior lifeguards participated in the 2015 Monster Mile competition, one of the final events in the seven-week summer program. After showing off their cos

HUNTINGTON BEACH Six surfers were honored Thursday morning – two posthumously – for their contributions to the sport during the 22nd annual Surfing Walk of Fame induction ceremony.
The induction, held in front of Jack’s Surfboards, kicked off with a prayer by “surfing priest” Father Christian Mondor.

Crowds form a tight circle around pro surfer Courtney Conlogue as she comes out of the water in Huntington Beach.
The Santa Ana surfer spends most of the year traveling around the world, but when she shows up at her home break during the U.S. Open of Surfing, she’s a favorite for fans hoping to get autographs and selfies with one o

HUNTINGTON BEACH – Four Orange County surfers were able to advance during Wednesday’s action at the U.S. Open of Surfing, where waves beefed up to the 3-5 foot range because of a tropical swell that added some punch to surf conditions.
Huntington Beach’s Kanoa Igarashi had a heat-winning 17.50 combined score within the

Juran Oliver stood on a surfboard, and for a few minutes he forgot he was at a massive action-sports festival in Huntington Beach.
He was instantly transported as he put on a headset covering his eyes and ears in the Samsung booth at the Vans U.S. Open of Surfing. The Gear VR – created by Samsung in partnership with Oculus –

Orange County lifeguards are asking beachgoers to be careful in the water after rip currents led to many rescues in recent days.
OC Lifeguards chief Jason Young said there were 140 rescues in the agency’s patrol area Saturday through Tuesday. Many of them were because of rip currents, Young said.
The heat drew more surfers

Paul Sims had eight seconds to make his wait worth it.
Sims scrambled as air pushed up tiny tickets all around him Wednesday afternoon, and he reached his hands out swiftly to try to grasp one as they were sent spinning around him.
Score. The Ontario man walked out of the Vans “money machine” with a ticket for a free

Major changes to blackball regulations on Newport Beach’s shores aren’t likely to come anytime soon.
The City Council on Tuesday considered four proposed changes to its blackball regulations during a study session, eventually choosing to leave two on the table. When a blackball flag is displayed, hard surfboards are restricte

It’s going to be a good weekend to hit the beach as hot and humid weather rolls in – and it’s expected to stick around through the summer.
This weekend much of Orange County will have temperatures in the high 80s, a 2- to 4-degree increase above the average for this time of year, according to the National Weather Servic

The beach continued to be busy on day four of the Vans U.S. Open of Surfing, where the world’s largest action-sports festival and surf contest is happening on the south side of the Huntington Beach Pier.
Surf fans gathered on the sand to watch the action in the water, while others strolled around under the hot sun at the Van Doren